Welcome & Introduction

Wayne Eskridge, an electrical engineer from the University of Idaho, worked in software and electronics through a 50 year professional career. He served in many technical and managerial roles beginning as a computer programmer, through multiple levels of technical and managerial positions in businesses of all sizes. He held executive positions in both public and private corporations with worldwide responsibilities, and from startups to Fortune 500 firms. He was recently appointed as a member of the AASLD Patient Advisory Group, which represents the patient community to the medical professional society.

Eskridge was first diagnosed with liver disease in 2010 and, as a result of his own experiences, he became aware of an acute need for an educational resource from a patient perspective. At the core of his motivation is the fact that an estimated 100 million Americans already have fatty liver disease and are unaware of it. While there is currently no medical treatment for NAFLD/NASH, lifestyle changes can be effective. Prevention through education is the only practical solution today. His desire to help others avoid his experiences led him to the decision to become a patient advocate and to create the Fatty Liver Foundation

Seth Ginsberg is an international health advocate and thought leader based in New York City. Ginsberg was diagnosed in 1994 with Spondylarthritis, and in 1999, at age 18, he helped pioneer the world’s first online patient community for the millions of people worldwide suffering from arthritis, called CreakyJoints. CreakyJoints has grown into a trusted and recognized web site and patient community, delivering robust patient education, community-based and web-based support, advocacy initiatives and patient-centered research. In 2007, Ginsberg and social entrepreneur Louis Tharp co-founded the Global Healthy Living Foundation, the 501(c)(3) non-profit parent organization of CreakyJoints and other advocacy-related activities for neurological and cardiovascular conditions. CreakyJoints Australia, also lead by Ginsberg, is the first international patient community under the GHLF umbrella, and constitutes a growing and vibrant community of patients throughout Australia.

Since 2014, Ginsberg has served as a Principal Investigator of the PCORI-funded patient-powered research network ArthritisPower®. As a web and smartphone app, ArthritisPower is an innovative registry engineered for and by people with rheumatoid arthritis and related autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. Research efforts are overseen by a patient governor group as well as a distinguished research and corporate advisory board.

In 2011, Ginsberg helped create GHLF’s 50-State Network, which is an active network of more than 1,300 patient advocates, based in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Under Ginsberg’s leadership, the 50-State Network focuses on barriers to care people living with chronic illness endure by working with state governors, legislature leadership and insurance commissioners as well as Congress and health-related Congressional Committees and Caucuses, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its regulatory agency the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Ginsberg appears as a guest on local and national broadcast news programs, is a regular op-ed contributor, healthcare news, opinion and advice columnist for U.S. News & World Report, and frequent keynote speaker at professional conferences and healthcare meetings.

Seth lives in Manhattan with his wife, Cara Zelas, who is the author of the children’s book series “The Big World of Little Dude.”

Utilizing over 17 years of medical education experience, Gary has developed a unique skill in forming, facilitating, and nurturing community collaborations to support mutually beneficial outcomes. He is an expert in identifying unmet educational needs, navigating sensitivities and co-creating alliances that strive to lift levels of knowledge. Gary applies his passion for co-creation and scientific rigor to all partnerships and the collaborations he supports.

Dave Craig is a two-time cancer survivor, oncology researcher, and patient experience champion. He is CEO and co-founder of GRYT (“grit”) Health, a digital health company that connects individuals with similar experiences and engages them to inform, support, and facilitate improved disease management and patient well-being.

Through GRYT’s global oncology platform and work with the top healthcare organizations, we help advance the treatment, care, and experience of those affected by cancer. We do this through research, marketing, and clinical trial services that put people and caregivers first, integrating the patient experience – from early-stage treatments through long-term survivorship – to ultimately improve health outcomes.

In his recent TED Talk, Dave describes how he has catalyzed personal adversity, patient experience research, and digital technology to create a platform to connect, empower, and transform the living-with-cancer experience.

In her current role, Cathy heads global advocacy at BMS, developing and advocating company positions on priority issues to maximize patient access and promote a strong climate of biopharmaceutical innovation, as well as working with advocacy organizations and other key stakeholders about the value of innovative medicines.

Cathy also leads the BMS Global Advocacy Digital Health initiative, focused on engaging with advocacy organizations to explore FDA patient-focused drug development guidance (21st Century Cures) and other guidance (EMA, HTA) on patient experience data through social media data and companion DH technology partnerships; driving internal and external assessments of early patient engagement to develop strategy; creating an end to end, comprehensive, expert patient engagement process for inclusiveness across the entire BMS continuum.

Ms. Trzaskawka started her career in the New Jersey State House as a communications specialist working with the Assembly Health & Human Services Committee, among others, before moving onto Governor Christie Todd Whitman’s team as Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. From the State House, Cathy continued on as a community affairs lobbyist, to corporate affairs, then took an incredible opportunity as Executive Director of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, SNJ. Her move into pharmaceuticals came from her advocacy and patient education work at LLS. She has held several senior positions at pharmaceutical companies including GSK, Endo, and now BMS.

Cathy has an excellent track record of utilizing optimism and strong personal beliefs to overcome social and business challenges, and mobilizing people around a higher purpose, while committed to corporate social responsibility. She currently lives in Medford, NJ with her husband Ed and three children.

As Senior Vice President, Major Markets, Catherine is responsible for the BMS commercialization business in key markets outside the U.S., a total of 16 countries including Japan, Germany and France, and over 4000 employees. The company portfolio of innovative prescription medicines spans therapeutic areas including Oncology, Hematology, Cardiovascular, and Immunology, with many recognizable brands including OPDIVO, REVLIMID, ELIQUIS, and ORENCIA.

Previously Catherine was a senior executive at Johnson & Johnson (J&J). In her last role, she was President, Immunology at Janssen Pharmaceuticals, responsible for leading the largest single business unit within J&J. The business included 5 marketed brands, over 1000 employees, and served patients within the areas of dermatology, gastroenterology, and rheumatology. Previously, Catherine was President, Infectious Diseases where she led the U.S. commercial business in making a difference in the lives of people living with HIV. Catherine began her Johnson & Johnson career as a London-based sales representative. During her more than 25 years with J&J, she held leadership roles in Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices and Corporate Innovation in the U.K., the U.S., and global organizations. With a passion for digital connectivity, Catherine established the first North America Pharmaceuticals Digital Governance Board and digital champions’ team at Janssen and served as Digital Governance Lead for North America. She also served as the first leader of the Janssen North America Culture Team, and in her role as Diversity & Inclusion lead for North America, Catherine built the first Employee Resource Group Council.
Catherine is passionate about developing people, improving the lives of patients suffering from serious disease, and serves as a career mentor for many. In recognition of her efforts, she received the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Luminary award in 2018, and represented J&J at Forbes ‘NexGen’ most powerful woman in Pharma.

Catherine has an Honors degree in Pharmacy from the University of Manchester and a post-graduate degree in Marketing from the University of London. She is a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. She lives in Pennington, NJ with her husband and two teenage daughters.

Since September, 2017, Andrea manages partnerships between the World Heart Federation, a Geneva, Switzerland-based NGO representing the global cardiovascular community, and private sector companies committed to the fight against cardiovascular disease. Her activities include leveraging the World Heart Day global awareness campaign, promoting the Global Circulatory Health Summit thought leadership platform, as well as engaging with industry in support of a variety of field activities and CVD Roadmaps designed to improve heart health globally.

A dual citizen of Switzerland and the United States, Andrea spent 16 years of her career at DuPont, in a variety of sales & marketing management positions. She is a graduate of Hofstra University, New York (USA) with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Applied Economics and holds an MBA degree from Università Luigi Bocconi, Milan, Italy.